academic perspective on Change

- Based on the attached text, please comment on a academic perspective on Change and how to cope with it?

Change Management, in recent years, has emerged a well defined field within management to manage change across the organization. The concepts are fairly general in the sense that they apply to organizations as well as they apply to individuals. One of the challenges that any change poses to an organization is the acceptance by the members of the organization, and the stakeholders to perceive change as an opportunity as opposed to viewing it as a threat. In other words the challenge of change management may not be as much from a technical point of view as it is from the human side of the organization. People in general resist change and on occasion equate change with the loss of a part of their activity in their daily lives. As such, they may exhibit denial, anger, try to negotiate if they can be excepted or exempted from the change. Others may cope such 'loss' with depression, and anxiety of having to retool their skill set because after all they see the onset of yet another 'learning curve'. Unless there is a constant push which is mandated by the management only then the change is accepted by individuals. The unfortunate fact of such half hearted acceptance is fraught with danger when it comes to fulfilling the organizational goals and trying to maintain the firm's stated goals and performance at an optimal level.

The taxonomy of change consists of at lease these components. There has to be a finite level of awareness that change is either impending, indispensable or it has already occurred. Once awareness sets in the next step is the desire to support, anticipate or participate in the process of change. This leads to the knowledge about how to change. Once this happens then the rest is rather easy. As one shows the ability to accept and go along with the change, it is only natural that the person will find ways to acquire, implement and hone in on new skills and behaviors to absorb and embrace the change. Finally, the reinforcement where the individual strives to sustain and be the proponent and ambassador of change.

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From academics perspective, A clear vision should be in place at the most senior level(s) so that staff can gain understanding of why change is important and necessary (Edmonds, 1999; Betts, 1998; Oliver & Dempster, 2002). Bates (1999), Dearlove (2002), Fullan (1991), Gilbert (2001b), McPherson (2003), Panan & McGovern (2003), Spencer-Mathews (2001) and Welsh & Metcalf (2003) all in fact conclude that the successful implementation of any plans will ultimately rest on academics agreeing that the proposals are reasonable.

The institution has to turn itself, through its underlying philosophy and operational practices, into very much a ...